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Our Care Expert Spotlight series showcases the passionate professionals behind Wellthy's personalized care support, sharing their stories and the experiences that drive their dedication to helping others.
This month we spoke with Sandrea, a Backup Care Specialist with a background in childcare and executive functioning. Wellthy’s team of Backup Care Specialists works on urgent cases where a family needs to find last-minute support for a loved one due to an unforeseen circumstance such as a daycare suddenly closing or a nanny calling out sick.
What is your personal caregiving story and what drew you to Wellthy?
Having cared for my grandmother, I learned how difficult it is to be a caregiver and navigate care for a loved one. When I learned about Wellthy, I was so excited about the idea of supporting families and alleviating some of the burden. I know what it's like when caregiving gets dropped in your lap without warning. I wanted to be part of something that helps people navigate that complicated process. Having been there myself, I just really wanted to make the journey a little easier for others.
What is your role at Wellthy?
I started as a childcare coordinator. I was one of the original members of the first childcare team and we found nannies, daycare, and babysitters, the whole nine yards. We developed that program. I also really enjoyed helping out with Wellthy Community on the forums where members are seeking assistance with caregiving.
Last year, I switched over to Backup Care and now I support families with finding Backup Care for their children, their loved ones, and any other last minute care families might need. It’s been an amazing journey so far.
Backup care is something that employers are turning to Wellthy more than ever: what have you seen or what have been some learnings for you as your team has worked closely with families seeking backup care support?
A lot of the families I have worked with are finding out the importance of pre-planning, and that they do not have to wait until the last minute to find reliable care. We have this amazing feature within the platform called “Build a Backup Care Circle.” This allows families to build trusted care infrastructure proactively, before they are scrambling for help.
It’s inevitable that children get sick, schools close, and so many unexpected things can happen, so we help families understand that building a support network in advance is essential. We encourage them to lean into their family and friends and existing network that they have in addition to our Wellthy Care Network, made up of caregivers who have gone through extensive vetting and background checks. Your village, as we say, is really important and it is important that you have someone that you trust caring for your loved ones.
Do you have any tips or advice for family caregivers?
Yes, absolutely. Planning ahead would be my number one tip. Then, as caregivers, it is really important for you to care for yourself, and I think that's something that we overlook a lot.
When you're a caregiver you're in “go” mode all the time so it's really important to get some type of respite. You cannot care for your loved one if you do not take time to care for yourself. I always like to say you can't pour from an empty cup. Being a caregiver for someone is like having another full-time job. That's why I'm so grateful for Wellthy because we alleviate some of that stress for families that are going through juggling caregiving alongside a career.
People often underestimate the power of rest. As a caregiver, you need sufficient rest to tackle each day effectively. When exhaustion, overwork, or overstimulation affects you, mistakes become more likely—perhaps forgetting medication or lacking physical strength due to insufficient nutrition or sleep. If your responsibilities include transferring people between beds or performing other demanding tasks, you must ensure your own reserves remain completely full. Only then can you properly care for others.
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